Council adopts housing-needs resolution after staff presents analysis showing tight housing market and low lot availability

City staff delivered a detailed housing needs analysis during the July 27 meeting and the City Council voted to adopt a resolution declaring a need for housing and to pursue RHID consideration. The presentation, led by staff (identified in the record as Megan), reported that 75% of housing units in Bonner Springs are owner-occupied and 25% are rentals, that nine surveyed subdivisions contain 618 total lots with roughly 612 built, and that for-sale inventory was 21 homes in June 2026 and had fallen to about 12 when staff checked the week before the meeting.

The analysis noted a very low vacancy rate for rental housing (staff presented figures of about 97% occupancy overall in surveyed rental stock and 98.5% referenced for particular segments), and that new projects (Sandstone Townhomes and forthcoming 120 Oak and a 48-unit senior project) will add supply but were not fully captured in the current data set. Staff recommended continuing strategies that favor single-family and senior housing and recommended pursuing an RHID to incentivize new single-family construction; the RHID funding estimate presented was roughly $6,500,000 in public infrastructure for the Lynn Valley proposal, with final amounts to be negotiated.

Council discussed nodal development, market-rate versus income-restricted rental balance, and the potential for the RHID to reimburse developer infrastructure costs via property-tax rebate or abatement subject to state review. A motion to adopt a resolution determining a need for housing and to proceed with RHID steps passed unanimously. Staff said more detailed updates can be produced after the 2030 census and once additional housing projects come online.